Marshall Thundering Herd

Player News

The 6-foot, 188-pounder has been one of the nation's elite playmakers over the past four seasons, throwing 131 touchdown passes, tied for fourth-most in FBS history. n 2014, Cato threw for 3,901 yards and put up an impressive 40/13 TD/INT ratio. Because of his diminutive frame, he'll have to enter the NFL as either a late Day 3 pick or a priority UDFA. Mel Kiper ranks him as the No. 10 QB.

Cato's inclusion is based less on merit and more on the removal of Connor Cook (Michigan State) and Cody Kessler (USC), who both elected to return to campus. "This isn't a very good class," Kiper wrote of the signal-callers. "No way around it." In 2014, Cato threw for 3,901 yards and put up an impressive 40/13 TD/INT ratio. He projects as a late Day 3 pick or UDFA.

As with most of these All-Star contests, there's not a ton to parse from the numbers. Cato worked mostly in dink-and-dunk territory, as his long only went for 13 yards. He also added four carries for 16 yards. In 2014, Cato threw for 3,901 yards and put up an impressive 40/13 TD/INT ratio. While Cato clearly has the ability to lead a prolific college offense, there are questions about how his size will transition to the next level. Cato measures out at just 6-foot, 188 pounds. He projects as a Day 3 pick at best. If he's not selected, he should still find a place on a squad as an UDFA.

A shoulder injury put Johnson's availability in question, but the big junior (6-foot-1, 243 pounds) gave it a go and put a hurting on the Huskies. He ends the season with 1,767 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns. The workhorse will be the focal point of Marshall's Rakeem Cato-less offense in 2015.

He also ran for 25 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Cato had the Thundering Herd offense humming in his last collegiate game, hitting open receivers (specifically Tommy Shuler) and avoiding mistakes (Marshall had zero turnovers). Cato threw for 3,901 yards and a 40/13 TD/INT ratio on a 59-percent completion percentage in 2014. The 6-foot, 188-pounder has been one of the nation's elite playmakers over the past few seasons, but he'll have to enter the NFL as either a late Day 3 pick or a priority UDFA.

After missing snaps due to a shoulder injury, Marshall junior RB Devon Johnson says he is ready for the school's bowl game against NIU on Tuesday.

The best part about the break between schools' final games and bowl contests is it allows for players to recover from injuries. Johnson is a do-everything workhorse for the Thundering Herd, producing 1,636 rushing yards on 191 carries.

The Herd rallied with 10 fourth-quarter points to put away the Bulldogs, who led for most of the game. Cato's completion percentage is down for a third straight year, but his Yards Per Attempt average has jumped from 7.85 to 8.75 as Marshall has gotten more aggressive in throwing downfield. The 6-foot, 188-pounder will enter the NFL as either a late Day 3 pick or a priority UDFA.

Marshall junior RB Devon Johnson carried the ball four times for 34 yards in the school's 26-23 win over Louisiana Tech.

Johnson entered the game with a shoulder injury and expectedly did not start. After averaging around 18 carries in 10 games this season, Johnson has combined for seven carries in the last two. Hopefully rest before the bowl game allows Marshall's top offensive player to return to full health.

He now has four interceptions on the year. Leggett has "flashed why he was so highly rated out of high school" while a member of the Thundering Herd, CBS Sports' Dane Brugler wrote. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Leggett signed with Miami as a stud prep recruit, one of the top CBs in the nation, but academics cost him his scholarship. Leggett signed with the Thundering Herd and redshirted in 2012. He started only one game last year, but led the squad with four interceptions.

Marshall's perfect season came to a heart-breaking end the day after Thanksgiving in wild fashion. The schools combined for 15 touchdown passes, most in a game involving an FBS team, and the Herd's conference-best defense allowed a school-record 738 yards in the highest-scoring game in Conference USA history. As for Cato, he set a single-game TD pass record and also set the school's career passing yards mark in this one. The 6-foot, 188-pounder will enter the NFL as either a late Day 3 pick or a priority UDFA. "With smaller quarterbacks having success and more opportunities in the NFL, Cato is coming along at the right time," NFL.com wrote earlier this season. "His size will be an issue for some, but Cato will get a much better evaluation because of guys like Russell Wilson and Johnny Manziel than he might have received previously."

Marshall senior QB Rakeem Cato completed 20-of-38 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns and an interception in Saturday's 23-18 victory over UAB.

He also rushed for 41 yards. Cato's completion percentage has dropped in three straight years, and, at 58.4%, it currently stands as the lowest of his career. That doesn't indicate, however, a drop in effectiveness. Marshall has gotten more aggressive through the air this year, causing Cato's Yards Per Attempt number to jump from 7.85 to 9.00. His YPA and QB rating have both increased every year he's been on campus.

Marshall HC Doc Holliday told Sports Illustrated's Inside Read that he believed senior QB Rakeem Cato is playing his best football of the season.

Cato has passed for 2,613 passing yards with 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. He recently broke Russell Wilson's record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass (Cato's streak currently sits at 62 straight games). Head coach Holliday said that Cato is playing smart football. "He’s getting us in the right checks, making the right reads on the run-pass option stuff and his decision-making has been unbelievable." Cato's a slight kid at just 6-foot-1, 176 pounds, but is still athletic enough to evade pressure. In terms of draftability, he needs to improve his mechanics and his footwork.

Marshall junior RB Devon Johnson rushed 27 times for 199 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's win over Rice.

The big junior (6-foot-1, 243 pounds) had missed Marshall's last game with a knee injury, but he showed no signs of damage against Rice. Johnson was consistently able to bust through the defense for big plays. He averaged 7.2 YPC and his long went for 42 yards. This season, Johnson has rushed for 100+ yards in every game except for one. Johnson only just started running the ball this season, having converted from tight end over the summer.

Cato threw for touchdowns of two, 25, 30 and seven yards to give him 117 for his career. In the game, he surpassed Chad Pennington's school record for career TD passes (Pennington had 115). Cato did throw a pick, but he was mostly in control of his game. Cato has a nice arm and is good with the deep ball. When he struggles, it's generally with his mechanics and footwork.

The Owls led at halftime, and trailed by only five points at the start of the fourth quarter, but Marshall scored two touchdowns in the game's final 14 minutes to seal it. Cato has now thrown for a touchdown in 40 straight games, an NCAA record. CBS Sports' Dane Brugler wrote earlier this week that Cato "has some likeable traits with his athleticism to evade pressure and arm talent to push the ball downfield," but suffers from "inconsistent mechanics, footwork and delivery motions."